The Season of the Daffodil 



By The 



A young lady to whom I spoke of the newer DaffoiHls 

 seemed immensely surprised to learn that a single bulb of 

 the particular variety we were examining cost five dollars. 

 Her incredulity was not disguised ; and it appeared to me 

 that she thought the person who would pay five dollars 

 for a tiny mite of a bulb was a fit subject for the mad 

 house. She herself would assuredly buy a new hat — if 

 $5 would go so far as pay for her hat. And when she 

 had it it would be cast aside in a few months, done with. 

 My bulb, however, with luck and care, ought not only 

 yield me two more equally good, and keep on adding to 

 my stock year after year, while all the while supplying 

 the daintiest, loveliest of flowers. 



Too many gardeners and amateurs only know the com- 

 mon Daffodil, so frequently and erroneously called 

 Jonquil. How often do we stop to consider that there 

 are at least 200 excellent, distinct, and desirable varieties 

 of Daffodils? These are all classified into groups and 

 sections. Few flowers afford more interesting study. 

 There are twelve sections, and the differences between 

 these sections are based on the form of the flowers. 

 Everybody know's the Paperwhite Narcissus, with small 

 white flowers in bunches. Also we all know the Poet's 

 Xarcissus (N. poeticus) or Pheasant's-eye. Thirdly, 

 everyone knows the true trumpet Daffodils of the Spring, 

 the commonest and earliest being the old double yellow 

 one, and almost in line with it the plebeian single trumpet 

 kinds. These give us the key to how the classification 

 runs. The genus or family used to be divided into: 

 1. Trumpet .self's; 2. Trumpet bicolors : 3. Poeticus; 4 

 Tazetta ; 5. Incomparabilis ; 6. Species. 



But the crossbreeders and hybridizers have been at 

 work for a long time and have considerably mixed up 

 the original types ; nevertheless the specialists who follow 

 the work of the crossbreeders from year to year can 

 usually "spot" the family characteristics that have been 

 bred into the novelties. Herein is where so large a part 

 of the interest and fun of the study of Daffodils lies. 

 "Yes, I can plainly see the Johnstonii in that," one w'ill 

 say. "the trumpet shows me that." Or it may be a 

 cyclamineus hybrid and bears the stamp of that species in 

 the reflexing of its petals. 



\\'ell, these are crude enough examples, of course, but 

 they serve to drive home the point. Both Johnstonii and 

 cyclamineus are distinctive Xarcissi ; they have strongly 

 marked characteristics. It is when we get down to the 

 finer points that even the keenest experts have to get their 

 thinking caps on and may not always guess at the correct 

 parentage. 



WORK OF THE HYBRIDIST. 



What has this hybridization given us? This is a large 

 question. It has given us noble white Daft'odils where 

 formerly frail-looking specific forms existed. It has 

 given us much enlarged and finer varieties of X. poeticus. 

 It has given us beautiful combinations of the Jonquil and 

 true Daffodil. Hybridization has also resulted in the 

 splendid new poetaz group, these being the outcome of 

 crossing X. poeticus with the Tazetta or polyanthus 

 (bunch) Daft'odils. hence the name poet-az. Today we 

 also have white Xarcissi with the loveliest and daintiest 

 green centers ; and among the very latest are new, pink 

 petalled seedlings. 



An explanation of some of the terms used by Daft'odil 

 people seems in order here. First, then, all these 

 flowers — Daft'odils, Jonquils. Paperwhites — are members 

 of one genus, the genus X^arcissus. The name somehow 

 or other comes down from ancient times and was the 

 name of a vouth of Greek mythology who admired his 



Onlooker. 



own image reflected in the water, so ardently that 

 Xemesis turned him into the flower that bears his name. 

 The two terms, Daffodil and Narcissus, are used inter- 

 changeably, although some authorities aver that the term 

 Daffodil must only be applied to those Narcissi that have 

 long trumpets, or true trumpet Daffodils. Those with 

 trumpets of half length, as in the well-known Sir Watkin, 

 are also universally classed among the Daffodils, but here 

 the line is often drawn and all other groups are simply 

 called Xarcissi. (The terminal "i" simply signifies the 

 plural of the word Narcissus.) Familiarly X. poeticus 

 is spoken of as Poet's Xarciss, or Xarcissus ; the breeders 

 and growers even speak of them simply as "Poets." Thus 

 the experienced ones talk of Leedsii, Barrii, Engleheartii, 

 for short, thus getting the variety down to its own proper 

 group right away. Or if they don't wish to be quite so 

 exact they will speak of "red caps," a term that needs no 

 explanation from anyone ; or of "chalice-cups," which 

 means the Leedsii group. 



D.VFFODIL TERMS. 



I have used the term petals as being best understood by 

 the majority of flower lovers, but the Daff'odil specialist 

 calls these "perianth segments." It is a botanical point, 

 but well worth adopting. Then the cup of the smaller 

 t\pe is properly or strictly the corona (crown) ; while the 

 centre of the Poet's Xarciss is the disc. The trade terms 

 are therefore — perianth, trumpet, crown or corona, disc, 

 eye (the centremost part of flat flowers). 



Whether the conditions for the highest cultivation of 

 the Daffodil exist in any large part of the United States 

 is an open question. I am inclined to think that, gen- 

 erally speaking, the sections where they succeed really 

 well are limited to Oregon, Washington, parts of Michi- 

 gan, northern Massachusetts and Maine. At the same 

 time good vigorous varieties can be depended upon, if 

 given reasonable care, in all sections north and east of 

 \'irginia, including that state. Plant early in October 

 and cover the beds with a couple of inches of flaky 

 manure after the first sharp frost. Choose a sunny, pro- 

 tected position for the finer varieties, such as in a border 

 close to one's residence or between greenhouses, or having 

 the protection of a wall on the north side, and if the soil 

 is rich, well drained, anrl the bulbs sound when planted, 

 excellent results can be expected. But while no stagnant 

 water ought to lie about, remember that Daft'odils enjoy 

 a ccol moist roothold. 



Among the best kinds for planting in open woods or in 

 glades or out among the shrubs in a holt or half wild 

 shrubberv are these : 



Tclaiiwniiis pleniis. 

 Von Sioii. 

 Orange Phoenix. 

 Sttlpliur Phoenix. 

 Poeticus. 



IncoinparabUls Sir IJ'atkin. 



Emperor. 



Empress. 



Frank Afiles. 



Stella siipcrba. 



That is not a verv long list, and could doubtless be 

 added to easily enough. Among others for beds and for 

 select places in the garden T would choose the following : 



King Alfred. Sir Watkin. 



Emperor and Empress. I'ictoria. 



Barri Conspiciiiis: Mme. de Graaff. 



C. J. Backhouse. White Lady. 



Golden Spur. Henry In-ing. 



Lucifer. Bernardino. 



Gloria Mundi. Blackivell. 



Beauty. .Albatross. 



Duchess of Westminster. Mrs. Langtry. 



